Body Painter Transforms Humans Into Breathtaking Portraits Of Animals

There’s more to this beautiful heron than meets the eye. It’s actually a human body covered intricately in paint.

The stunning work was created by artist Shannon Holt, a body painter from Florida who’s known for her ability to transform the human body into a canvas for beautiful art.

The piece is part of Holt’s “Florida Wildlife Series,” a collection of several animal portraits, all painstakingly drawn on human bodies. Each portrait is said to have taken Holt about six to 12 and a half hours to complete, according to Caters News.

In a May interview with the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Holt explained what it is about body painting as a medium that she loves so much.

She added that she loves the “ephemeral” nature of body painting. “It’s here and then it’s gone,” she said. “It’s kind of like ourselves -- we’re here on the Earth and then we’re gone, and it’s beautiful.”

Scroll down to see more images of Holt’s "Florida Wildlife Series." Visit Shannonholtart.com to see more of her work.